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Does anyone do home made soups?
I made a carrot and parsnip soup the other day but, frankly, it was a bit bland and didn't reallly fill a hole.

Any suggestions for a tasty, satisfying soup or broth?

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Mel

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I have a good one for carrot & coriander that near enough sticks to your ribs. Plus it's low-fat. When I get home I'll dig it out.
Meanwhile, apart from a rather expensive cream of mushroom it's the only soup I can make so I too would be glad of any tried and tested tasty recipes.

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Maureen
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I did a tomato soup a few years ago. It was a Gary Rhodes recipe and, though it was really tasty, it seemed a lot of hassle for the end product.

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Mel

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I make soup often through the fall and winter, various kinds. Leek and potato soup is nice, and cream of broccoli. I use lentils, split peas, barley, dried beans in soups as well, (not all at once). The first soup I made I tipped in almost a whole packet of barley. You could slice that soup with a knife.

Most of the soup recipes I use suggest a base of vegetable or chicken stock. I try to make my own, with vegetables, or chicken backs and necks, but in a pinch I use canned broth. It sounds a lot of trouble, but it just simmers and needs very little attention. I have a recipe for red lentil and carrot soup that has water as a base.

I have a blender that's been around for years and blend all or part of the soup. Seasoning is a matter of taste. I've made a carrot and parsnip soup that was pretty bland, too, Mel.

Joan

I usually do double quantities of this as it freezes well.

6 oz leeks
1lb carrots (peeled)
2 teasp ground coriander
1 1/2 oz butter or marg
1 teas plain flour
2 pints vegetable stock (4 green oxo + 2 pints water will do)
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 pint natural yoghurt or soured cream

slice leeks & carrots. heat butter in large pan & add vegetables.
cover pan. cook gently 5-10 mins or intil vegetables begin to soften but not brown.
Remove from heat. Add flour & ccoriander. return to heat for 1 min.
add stock. Bring to boil whilst stirring. Season. Reduce heat, cover & simmer 20 miutes or until all ingredients tender. (A pressure cooker comes in handy here)
Leaver to cool then puree.
Add yoghurt and adjust seasoning if required.
reheat gently or freeze

If I'm really trying to diet I leave out the yoghurt.

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Maureen
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Here's red lentil and carrot soup:

1 pkg (8oz/250g) dried red lentils, about 1 cup
3 onions, coarsely chopped
5 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme, or 1 tbsp 15 mL chopped fresh
3 carrots, scraped and thinly sliced
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Wash and drain lentils. In large saucepan combine lentils, onions, water, bay leaf and garlic. Cover and simmer for one hour. Add thyme and carrots. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes longer, or until carrots are tender and lentils soft. Remove bay leaf. I blend all or part of soup at this point but it isn't absolutely necessary. Add parsley, salt and pepper.
Makes 8 servings, 3/4 cup (175 mL) each.

This is from a Canadian cookbook, Smart Cooking, by Anne Lindsay, using standard 1 cup, (half a pint), liquid measures.

Joan

Thanks, I'll give these a go over the next week or so.

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Mel

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I find that if I add a pinch of curry to a carrot soup that it really perks up the flavour, as does a dash of Tabasco. Also, adding more onions and garlic.....these are pretty obvious, so you likely all do that already!

Thanks Sue, with the exception of the garlic, these are ingredients that Lyndon does not like so I am somewhat limited with the perking unfortunately. I've not completely given up on the carrot and parsnip though...I will continue to experiment.

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Mel

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